Susannah Burrage
Head of Portfolio Management
Prior Experience
Prior Experience
- Innosight, Engagement Manager
- First Book, Business Development Manager
- Community Wealth Partners, Senior Consultant
- The Aspen Institute, Program Coordinator
Education & Community
Education & Community
- Yale School of Management, MBA
- Bowdoin College, BA Government and Legal Studies
About Susannah
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS AS HEAD OF PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT?
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS AS HEAD OF PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT?
Success as the Head of Portfolio Management means that Zeal portfolio companies achieve their next stage of growth more often and faster than would otherwise be possible. An investment from Zeal goes beyond capital to include hands on strategic and operational support and a broad network of tools and resources that drive performance and minimize downside risk. Each portfolio company is unique; my role is to keep a pulse on what each portfolio company needs, and to deploy Zeal resources in service of each company’s growth as well as the overall performance of the Zeal portfolio.
WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT DO YOU WISH TO CREATE IN LIFE AND WHAT EXPERIENCES DO YOU BRING TO DRIVE IMPACT AT ZEAL?
WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT DO YOU WISH TO CREATE IN LIFE AND WHAT EXPERIENCES DO YOU BRING TO DRIVE IMPACT AT ZEAL?
I am energized by building products, services, and business models for overlooked and under resourced communities. Everyday there are countless points of friction and frustration, each of which is exacerbated by inequities. Figuring out how to tackle these at scale presents an opportunity for business growth and meaningful social impact.
I was motivated by this opportunity early in my career while working at First Book, a social enterprise that aggregats the purchasing power of underserved communities to increase the quantity and affordability of multicultural books. As a result of our work, publishers were compelled to print books with diverse characters and stories that they otherwise wouldn’t have printed.
Inspired by this experience, I was motivated to figure out how the private sector could help reach overlooked consumers and needs at a larger scale. I pursued my MBA at Yale and tested how I might enable compelling, early-stage concepts through impact investing or help established players stretch into new markets. At Innosight, a growth strategy consultancy founded by Innovator’s Dilemma author Clay Christiansen, I developed a unique lens on the startup landscape by supporting established players looking to adapt and grow in the face of disruption by new entrants. While working across industries including financial services, healthcare, retail, CPG, and technology, I have led cross-functional teams, conducted market analyses and user research, and built organizational capabilities in service of product and strategy.
In joining Zeal, I become a part of an organization whose purpose is squarely aligned with my own. I am excited to help portfolio companies develop customer-centric strategies, navigate complex market dynamics, optimize operations, and achieve long-term value creation. In partnership together, we will develop solutions that build wealth for those who lack access to financial resources, employment pathways, and quality health care.
WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU?
WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU?
I love questions. I love how they help me build relationships, understand underlying dynamics, and uncover new ideas and solutions. I believe this trait was fostered - at least in part - by growing up as the youngest of 5 children. I quickly learned that I needed to speak up in order to understand and contribute to all that was happening around me. Whether making a joke at my expense, challenging me, or cheering me on, my siblings’ influence nurtured my outgoing nature, sense of humor, and perseverance.
OUTSIDE OF WORK, WHAT ENERGIZES YOU?
OUTSIDE OF WORK, WHAT ENERGIZES YOU?
Long walks on the National Mall or in Rock Creek Park with my husband, Daniel. Keeping up with my 8 nieces/nephews (ages 2 to 13). Impromptu dinner parties. Ski slopes in winter, Maine in the summer and fall, and DC in the spring. Street food tours and historical fiction while traveling abroad.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE TO LIVE BY?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE TO LIVE BY?
“If you don’t think for yourself, whose life are you living?” This graffiti along my weekly running route catches my attention each time. It confronts any doubt that might be hiding in the corners of my mind and reminds me to have conviction in my actions and beliefs.